Adelaide Advertiser

MONEY MATTERS SA BUCKS NATIONAL TREND OF DECLINING SALES ACTIVITY

by Tom Bowden

Australia’s property market might be cooling, but one state is not just bucking the national trend, but doing it in a pretty major way.

Hotspotting’s June 2026 Price Predictor Indicator reveals the nation’s hottest markets, and it’s good news if you’re a South Australian homeowner.

The report highlights the nation’s top-performing local government areas, those continuing to run hot despite the national pullback.

And of the top 10 strongest performing LGAs identified, a whopping six can be found in SA, confirming the state as the standout performer in a quarter defined by tightening supply, rising days-on-market pressure, and a sharp rotation in market cycles.

In the report, LGAs are given a score out of 100 based on inventory levels, days on market, sold-above-asking activity, vacancy rates and short-term price momentum.

With a score of 77, Onkaparinga took out top spot, ahead of Mitcham with 76.

Palmerston in the NT came in third with 74 ahead of Marion, SA’s 73 and Western Australia’s Bayswater with 72.

Back in SA, Tea Tree Gully also scored 72, ahead of Campbelltown, while Tasmania’s Glenorchy and Kingborough, and SA’s Port Adelaide Enfield all scored 70.

Hotspotting founder Terry Ryder said Greater Adelaide’s dominance highlighted the fact it has the tightest supply conditions of any capital.

“When stock clears quickly, the live-market pressure becomes extreme. Inventory thins, days on market collapse, properties sell above asking, and vacancy disappears,” Mr Ryder said.

Regional South Australia was revealed as the strongest regional performer, with Mr Ryder saying The Barossa, Clare Valley and Riverland districts continued to show durable conditions rather than boom-cycle volatility.

“Regional SA is the unsung hero of the June quarter,” he said.

“It’s consistent, it’s stable, and it’s outperforming every other mainland regional jurisdiction.”

Hotspotting managing director Tim Graham said the data showed the national map was being reshaped unevenly.

This quarter lands in the middle of what we call ‘the mother of all disruption periods’,” Mr Graham said.

“Three RBA rate rises, geopolitical trade uncertainty, cost-of-living pressures and Federal Budget changes have all hit at once, but the impact isn’t uniform.

Some markets are cooling sharply, while others are still running incredibly hot.”

G h id i

Mr Graham said it was important buyers and sellers understand the timing of their particular market.

“In cooling markets, delaying a sales campaign can cost vendors money, but in rising markets, it supports stronger pricing confidence,” he said.

“And for homebuyers and investors, it highlights where paying a premium is justified and where negotiation power is shifting back in your favour.”

REA Group recently released its Home Price Index which showed Adelaide’s median house price had dropped for the second consecutive month.

Senior economist Anne Flaherty said Adelaide had been a popular market for investors, and a decrease in new landlords thanks to announced budget changes may have had a large impact.

“I think Adelaide is quite interesting, in the sense that it has been such an outperformer,” she said.